Iraq’s parliament on 27 October approved the cabinet proposed by prime minister Mohammed al-Sudani after a year of political chaos. One of the most important positions is oil minister, and Hayan Abdulghani has been appointed to the post. Mr Abdulghani is an industry veteran who previously retired in 2020. He was previously the chairman of Basrah Gas Company (BGC) and director general of South Gas Company (SGC).

Mr Abdulghani was appointed director general of SGC in 2017, switching from his previous role as director general of Basrah Oil Company (BOC), which oversees Iraq’s largest oil fields. During that 2017 switch he swapped roles with Ihsan Ismaael, who took over at BOC. He has now succeeded Mr Ismaael as minister, with his predecessor holding the role between June 2020 and October 2022 (MEES, 12 June 2020). (CONTINUED - 310 WORDS)